Found out yesterday that DJ Earworm has once again released his highly anticipated United State of Pop 2011 mashup. However, it was not that catchy - in fact I call it uninspired. Perhaps this year he didn't have a good selection of pop. Colin says he cheated because he didn't use Billboard Top 25! Agreed.

Awesome find alert, gotta tell my female readers! I've been meaning to get my grubby hands on these L'Oreal Color Infaillible eyeshadows ever since I swatched one of them at Watsons a couple of weeks back. Then I went online and read all the rave reviews , saying that they are comparable to Armani's Eyes to Kill. Not to mention that almost every drugstore I went to after that was OOS of these eyeshadows, sometimes with just 1-2 left on the shelf in the colour I did not want.

So imagine my delight when I popped into the Guardian's at Citilink mall and saw Black Onyx in stock (left 2 more)! Turns out, Guardian was having a 20% off L'Oreal products as well so this little baby only costs SGD$11.92.

Thus after walking for a while I decided it is a sin not to get more since there is a 20%, so I went to the Suntec guardian after that and found the next shade I think will work really well - Bronze Goddess.

The eyeshadows are actually pressed mineral powder that is 24 hour and waterproof. They are displayed bottom up, because it is transparent in the bottom of the flat jar. The top is a screw cap.

Here they are, opened up. There is a black flattener on top of the shadow - we are supposed to keep it so as to keep the shadows 'pressed' and fresh. Just a slight hassle in that extra step of removing that lid then. As you can see, there is also LOADs of eyeshadow jam packed into that jar. I can never finish them in my lifetime.

And here's a brief swatch of the gorgeous eyeshadows on my thigh and fingers. Apologize as the colour is not very accurate due to lighting. You can view swatches of more here. As you can see the colour is really intense when it is swabbed on my finger. On skin, you can layer it easily. There are several methods - using a sponge tip, a brush (wet for more intensity) or just your fingers to pat them on. The texture is really buttery soft, no huge glitter bits. It is also very waterproof because I ran my fingers under the water and it didn't come off until I rubbed them with some soap.

These would be perfect for a smokey eye look for a night out, be it clubbing or a dinner. I would imagine bronze goddess to be more subtle yet will work really well for our asian skin tone!

Can't wait to try it. Folks, if you see them on the shelves in Watsons/Guardian you know what to do!

On the eve's eve of Christmas, guess where I had dinner? Biopolis. That's right, you heard correctly. The reason is very valid -- town will be jam packed with the friday weekend pre-christmas frenzied shoppers who are thronging with a vengeance. Plus, there is a possibility of the Orchard Pond making an appearance. I do not fancy getting ankle or shin deep into muddy waters. My feet was already soggy from the day's rains even though I am wearing sandals, so no thanks!

So me and my bestie ZQ devoted our energy to finding the most "ULU" place in Singapore to have a meal, and that's when I suggested Spice Peranakan because I just read about it recently on ieatishootipost in Dr. Tay's Circle Line trip. It has to be the most deserted place ever, and we were right.

From the circle line station we had to walk up a hill towards Biopolis, and find the building called Centros - there was actually a cafe and a Indian restaurant in that same building too. Wow, never knew this place had anything other than cold concrete. Spice had quite a few patrons when we were there - they were finishing up though, as we only reached at 8.30pm.

We ordered the otah otah, chap chye and beef rendang! ZQ was looking very much forward to the rendeng, having read good things about it. It was the best dish among the lot. However, the otah was jam packed with spices and quite spicy, which makes it really satisfying. The chap chye was normal, nothing much to shout about. The sambal chili on the other hand, was uber spicy so much so that zq was perspiring from having it! I of course steered far away from that red stuff, the spice wuss I am.

The side dish of anchovies was also quite appetizing. Caution on ordering dubious drinks though - my honey lemon lime drink tasted weird because there was plum bits in it, which was not written in the menu itself. The lemongrass drink zq had was normal. Next time I'll stick to canned drinks!

Overall it works out to be around 25 per person. Slightly on the pricey side but hey, they have a tough location. They also have lunch sets at 9.90 and 15.90 I think, which is value for money. I bet their lunch crowd from the people working in Biopolis is better than the dinner one!

Quite enjoyed myself there simply because it is the most quiet and peaceful dinner I've had in a long while. In the ever overcrowded Singapore, this is simply a hidden gem. Do visit if you are in the West! The family business thrives solely on word of mouth, so here I am telling all my readers about it.

Other than fancy french food and novelty coffees, I do love my chinese simple fare. In fact, every Sunday I would go with my primary school mates on a breakfast brunch/lunch hunt all over Singapore! Having a car for all of us is no doubt very useful as well. However, we all live around the AMK/Bishan/Thomson area, so we tend to favour these areas a lot for good ol' favorites.

I also kept telling Vic that only good old heartlands have good food. Punggol? Pffft. (He defends that Punggol has good stuff too because he does real estate there, haha. OK, I believe, when we go there next time.)

So last Sunday, we revisted Rong Cheng Ba Kut Teh again because it was drizzling, its cold and a warm bowl of peppery soup will do just fine.

Sin Ming Ba Kut Teh it is, among other choices like founders, admiralty, amk.. Are you ready to salivate?

It was delicious, as usual. The rib had to be consumed caveman style, there is no other way. I also prefer the light soup to the dark herbal one. This one could be more peppery though, it is not as peppery compared to Founder's at Balestier. It is however much less exorbitant. For $6 you get a big rib, some other pieces of juicy meat, and rice, I think.

It also comes with the salted vegetables, and the peanuts. You can return them if you don't like so you don't get charged. They are not free.

The full spread. The guys also ordered a very fatty piece of pig's trotters! Apparently, meat are juicy only because of the fat content they have which elicits a saliva response in your mouth, making you think they are juicy. This fact was kindly provided by peng, writer of gyuto food blog.

For me, I love to have my bkt with a bowl of dry white rice, and drench it with soup and some dark sauce with chili. This is a good place for a late breakfast -- with the monsoon rains this December, I urge my readers to go try it soon, but do expect a crowd on weekends!

Also, the Ah Orh zichar at the same coffeeshop does a roaring business at night with seafood and etc. Very delicious as well. That warrants another blog post altogher!

Celebrated my darling friend's birthday 2 Fridays ago at Bistro du Vin, a charming little french bistro by the Les Amis Group at Shaw Centre facing the Pacific Plaza. I've walked past that place several times, always wondering if the food there is any good and finally there's an opportunity to taste it since Wing wanted to have French cuisine!

Our first choice was Le Bistro du Sommelier, but unfortunately it takes a week of reservation in advance if you want to get a proper timing instead of at 9.15pm, which was offered to me. So we went for Plan B - walk in to the bistro du vin! We were lucky to get a walk-in table because the place was fully booked and they managed to find a free table for us.

The place was decorated very much like a classic french bistro, which adds to a certain ambience. It was a bit too noisy as the crowd came in though, but that can't be helped.

Here's the birthday girl!

We didn't have to wait long for the food -- perhaps that's because we told the kind waitress that we have to leave in an hour to catch a movie, which is true.

The baguette served to us was quite divine, crusty on the outside and soft inside. Quite addictive but we didn't want to have more or it will spoil our appetite!

Our food came really swiftly! We ordered escargots ($15) to share, and I had the coq au vin while Wing had the beef cheek. As you can see in the background, the escargots were served with the shells itself, not in those indented dishes. The garlic herb butter was quite satisfying, though I won't say it managed to infuse the meat thoroughly. Could be better.

The coq au vin ($33) itself was quite amazing. Tangy with the wine reduction, I even found some 3-layered pork among the savory gravy - seems quite Chinese styled cooking, almost. It's like a chicken stew with the meat melting off the bone very easily. The carrots were also super soft.

The main dishes are all served with a separate pot of mashed taters, which is simply amazing. It was finely mashed, and the potato fragrance managed to linger. Perfect combination with the salty gravy.

Here's wing's beef cheek in red wine ($33) with the same other ingredients as mine. The beef cheek was also melty and soft while retaining the beef taste. Heavenly!

I also liked how all the dishes are served in "pots" - makes it very home-styled and authentic, less chi-chi like your typical haute française cuisine!

Here's me and the birthday girl after being completely stuffed after 40 mins. Yay!

Overall, I would recommend this place for a casual but still good dinner - the dishes are on the slightly pricey side, but just convert them into Euros and you'll feel fine. C'etait bon! I would love to go back and try more of their food, especially their desserts too.

Every year however, DJ Earworm comes up with the best mashup of the year and this year should not be any different. The last video here is just a preview of what he did in June this year. I cannot wait for United State of Pop 2011 to be out.

Of course I would always share good things when I see them. Here's a quick video post of the 3 good quality videos of the VS Fashion Show - the catwalk that is hotly anticipated every year because it is almost like the MTV music awards with hot models.

I do think after watching years of these fashion shows, I've gotten a little bit tired of the constant winking and air kissing and raising of butterfly hands. Its always those moves! If it was any other person than those angels, they would just look like they're having some facial spasms and gross people out with those hand to mouth to air actions.

Nonetheless, enjoy these videos, especially for the guys eh! I've placed them in order of least fav to fav. Nicki Minaj simply looks rather pissed off that she has to share the stage with those gorgeous non-human models with abs and legs that stretch on forever while she looks like a short clown. Haha.

Next is Kanye, who just looks really grateful to be there. However the superhero costumes are way to tacky and ugly to save the show.

Lastly, my favorite! The aquatic theme is sooo gorgeous, love the execution of the wings and the shimmery green or pearly mermaid style.. Not to mention one of the hottest songs of the moment was performed.

Hope you guys liked this as much as I do on this rainy gloomy morning!

Went to another "new" cafe in town last week. However, Brunetti did not fit the criteria of an indie cafe mostly because 1. it comes from a melbourne chain 2. it is situated in an expensive part of town, in a mall. 3. they are more known for their desserts than coffee. 4. its an "italian" cafe.

Well, it was pouring that day and we wanted to go somewhere close to civilisation, with shelter and proper facilities. Expectations were rightly lowered as well.

This was kinda it. I heard about it first on the papers and was expecting a small cosy cafe, but turns out its huge, bustling and quite well-lit. There was a huge counter for their cakes and pastries, and 2 more smaller counters for more pastries? It was quite confusing.

Stepping in, it felt like a food court cos it was so crowded, noisy and market-like. Don't even think about bringing a book here to go along with your coffee. Also, I was told off by a very rude waitress when I tried to snap photos. Oh come on. That is such a ridiculous rule, I am really quite pissed off with it. People are doing your business a favour by posting up photos online on blogs, twitter etc. Nobody has told me to not take photos in ANY other cafes. If its a theatre or a an indoor performance or even an art exhibition, I would understand why, but a cafe? Seriously?

I still managed to get a shot out. Cos I am rebellious like that. Look, a photo of the place!

We sat outside from the market that was right at the end of the cafe instead and it was much better, though still quite noisy. At least it was more sane, and there are less people.

We ordered a pear cheesecake crumble to share, a nondescript long black coffee and a peppermint tea. The tea was for me, it was a rainy day and perfect for a hot cup of tea! The presentation of the food looks really good.

The pear cheesecake crumble sadly looks better than it actually tasted, which was at best mediocre.Would go to Flor at Duxton Hill instead if I wanted cakes. But well, it wasn't horrid, and it's actually their star item. We just found it a tad too sweet and not very 'delicate' or exquisite, if you know what I mean when referring to desserts. After a while it just got too 'gelak' for us.

Well, if you are in Tanglin and want to have some unremarkable coffee and normal pastries in a quiet mall but noisy and crowded cafe, go to Brunetti. Oh and do try to take some photos.

Determined to also complete the Tiong Bahru enclave of cafes after I did the Robertson one, I checked Drips Bakery and Cafe off my list 2 Sundays ago. I should kick myself for going to a cafe on a late Sunday actually - experience taught me that usually by then, there will be no food left and only coffee in most cafes, especially if they recently experienced claims to fame from print media.

It was a short walk from Orange Thimble and Forty Hands, i reckon. All within the very charming old estate of Tiong Bahru with the white walk up apartments.

The cafe is typical of an indie cafe. Quite a big space. Here's their counter.

More views of the space. Really liked their eiffel tower cushions and mismatched but retro furniture.

Here's their menu. There are no paper menu, everything is on the board. How old school.

There was like I said, no food left however other than perhaps sandwiches, when I really wanted to try out their desserts because I've heard good things about it. Since its named a bakery, it was also really disappointing to only see some sad cookies left over on their counter. I had to settle for an cinnamon egg tart and a milky iced latte. The egg tart was quite yummy though even if I can't really taste any cinnamon in it.

Just when we were about done with it, out came fresh batches of their tarts. Damnit!

They look so scrumptious, but all we can do is gaze. I took photos to feed my camera, but not me :(

I want those tarts!

Sigh. Perhaps another visit on another day.

Overall though, quite a good space to chill out and I saw some people working off laptops too because there are ample power points at each seat. I still prefer Orange Thimble to this though in general, even though I think the comfort level from the space makes this rank above Forty Hands, if you are not exactly fussy about your coffee.

Too bad about the tarts and desserts though, perhaps those could have make me rave about this place more. All I have now is an incomplete review.

Maybe my readers will have better luck. Let me know if you've tried any of their tarts!

Went to the Vokswagen GTI 35th birthday party event and it was my first ever car birthday party - boy was it fun! First knew about this party that is open to public through the grapevine that there's free $10 food vouchers for the first 1000 to register, so I hurriedly like a true blue Singaporean signed myself up for it on the website, gti35.sg . Impressed with the follow up too, they sent me an SMS almost instantaneously to say I've got myself the food voucher!

It was quite a half-rain-half-sunny day though. Reached there at about 5.45pm to the tunes of Ling, Ian and Juan. By then, the skies cleared up a bit, though we had to walk a little to go in from the car park. It was a really cool spot to have a car event though, I must say! If not for this, I would never have ventured to this bit of land in Singapore!

The signage and helpers were all really great at giving instructions as to where is to what. As you can see, there is a bus stop for the shuttle bus service because this place is really ULU.

There is also valet parking (not sure if its free), but there's plenty of parking available everywhere anyway.

There was this carnival atmosphere to the party and it is really family friendly! There were freaky clowns, people on stilts, balloon makers.. and there are also entertainment tents that include photo print outs, manicure, airbrush tattoo, computer driving simulation game, a kids corner with bouncy castle...

There was also a CAR WASH with bikini babes and washboard ab hunks. Pity I did not go up close to the bikini babes and the washboard ab hunks to take pics for you guys. Gotta go down and see for yourself la! (and get free car wash!). Too bad the rain made the car wash less attractive than usual. As you can see its all wet...

This is the food hall where we get to spend the vouchers. There are drinks, pizzas, nachos, wraps, kebabs, fish and chips, fries, burgers and sausages! So many choices, too little vouchers. haha. In the end we got some awesome sausages, some chao da pizzas, some nachos with radioactive but delicious cheese sauce and a couple of canned drinks.

Below are some of my instagram pics of the event. Follow me @alexischeong on instagram if you haven't by the way, and if you are at the event, hashtag it #gti35 ! Hashtag the golf gti plus @sgig to win 300 dollars worth of vouchers in their photo challenge!

Here are my instagram pics and the captions. Let the pictures do the talkin'.

Finally, here's a parting shot of me at Strictly Pancakes for dinner after the event, with a rockstar tattoo that I got meself at the booth (had to endure little kids' stares while I queue for it).

If you are reading this, and it is still early and you have no plans for Sunday, get your lazy ass out, call some buds and head on down to the Stadium Link to enjoy a day of fun and excitement in a location that is freaking cool. All expenses (almost) paid if you have the food vouchers and open to public, I don't know why this isn't on the headline of the national newspaper. If you don't have food vouchers, just fill your tummy first before going. Remember to bring your cameras or charge your iPhone and snap away! The fun starts from 10am all the way to 9pm.

We ordered 2 lattes ($5.5 each) and a Ethiopian specialty coffee ($6), which apparently is quite diluted compared to Coffee Club's. I really like their elf signboard and their tagline, "Daymakers". Because they make your day!

Normal latte art.

We also ordered a banana bread (cake) and a raspberry friand. The latter cost 3.50 and it was smaller than the size of a child's fist. Seriously overpriced. We got ripped off! But it is understandable since the rent there must be really expensive. The banana cake was average, I prefer the one from Old School Delights.

Honestly felt that Smitten was the epitome of the new indie cafes out there with all the characteristics of the phenomenon. Small space in a 'cool' enclave that has coffee furniture, homemade coffee beans, and ikea/casual furniture. There will be alfresco sitting, juices and some easy to store pastries from a factory that is 5x overpriced. If they have a slightly bigger space there will be brunch sets ranging from 15-22 dollars. Target audience - expats, hippies and singaporeans looking for new places to go (me included). Am glad that I checked this cafe out, but won't be going back there for it's coffee or food any time soon mainly because there is nothing special, and it is overpriced.

Oh and just right beside the coffee place is Stacked, a dim sum bar. I am really tickled by this concept. Felicia, being from macau/hong kong, said she will never pay to eat there since it screams gimmicky, but i've read good reviews about this place. Hmmm..

About me

Welcome to my blog

I'm Alexis Cheong - A Singapore food and lifestyle blogger. Passionate about good food, travel and beauty or gadgets. This blog is a place where I want to share all the things I love with over 17,700 views per month. Feel free to contact me to say hello or find out how we can collaborate.